THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad 



1595- 

 as they had gathered, they gave us, and promised in the 

 morning to bring the Lord of that part with them, and to 

 do us all other services they could. 



That night we came to an ancker at the parting of 

 the three goodly Rivers (the one was the River of Amana 

 by which we came from the North, and ranne athwart 

 towards the South, the other two were of Orenoque ^^^ branches 

 which crossed from the West and ranne to the Sea ^Jj^^^"^" 

 towardes the East) and landed upon a faire sand, where 

 wee found thousands of Tortugas egges, which are very 

 wholesome meate, and greatly restoring, so as our men 

 were nowe well filled and highly contented both with 

 the fare, and neerenesse of the land of Guiana which 

 appeared in sight. 



In the morning there came downe according to promise 

 the Lord of that border called Toparimaca, with some 

 thirtie or fourtie followers, and brought us divers sorts 

 of fruites, and of his wine, bread, fish, and flesh, whom 

 wee also feasted as wee could, at least wee dranke good 

 Spanish wine (whereof wee had a small quantitie in 

 bottles) which above all things they love. I conferred 

 with this Toparimaca of the next way to Guiana, who Toparimaca, 

 conducted our galley and boates to his owne port, and 

 caried us from thence some mile and a halfe to his 

 Towne, where some of our Captaines karoused of his 

 wine till they were reasonable pleasant, for it is very 

 strong with pepper, and the juice of divers hearbes, and 

 fruites digested and purged, they keepe it in great earthen 

 pots of tenne or twelve galons very cleane and sweete, 

 and are themselves at their meetings and feastes the 

 greatest karousers and drunkards of the world : when 

 wee came to his towne wee found two Casiques, whereof 

 one was a stranger that had bene up the River in trade, 

 and his boates, people, and wife incamped at the port 

 where wee anckered, and the other was of that countrey 

 a follower of Toparimaca : they lay each of them in a 

 Gotten Hamaca, which wee call brasill beds, and two 

 women attending them with sixe cuppes and a little 



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